Will Obama mit Mosul-Offensive seine letzte Aktion setzen?

„The battle plans to oust the Islamic State from the city of Mosul are in place, but an uneasy mix of forces fighting against the militants could delay the fight or ignite separate conflicts. Preparations for the offensive have sped up in recent weeks, after officials in Baghdad and the Kurdish regional government agreed on a detailed military plan to retake the northern city. But thornier issues are still being worked out, such as the role of Iraq’s Shiite militias and the question of who will control the land after it is retaken. The battle for Iraq’s third-largest city will be the biggest yet by Iraqi forces, who are backed by the U.S.-led coalition. The city, home to more than a million people, is the militants’ last major stronghold in the country. For Iraqi authorities, it’s a careful balancing act. Mosul and the surrounding province of Nineveh are in one of the most religiously and ethnically diverse areas of the country. Though in theory united against a common enemy, many of the groups jostling for a role in the fight are bitter rivals with competing interests. (…)

Iraqi military commanders say the planning stage is over and that it’s only a matter of weeks before an offensive is launched. Abadi has pledged to retake Mosul by the end of the year. In the United States, meanwhile, the Obama administration has been accused of rushing ahead with the offensive in order to have it underway in time for the November elections.“

(Loveday Morris: „Battle to banish Islamic State from Mosul could become a mess“)

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